Winning a bike in a Christmas raffle turned into an obsession that is now taking a Reading man from one end of the country to the other.

Senior scientist Nick Davies and three friends are tackling the iconic John O’Groats to Land’s End (JOGLE) route in aid of Community First Responders.

These volunteers are trained to attend emergency calls received by the ambulance service and provide care until the ambulance arrives.

The cyclists are going to be in the saddle eight hours a day for eight days as they cover more than 950 miles to give their funds a boost.

And a Maidenhead builder has promised a full responders kit if they finish.

Mr Davies, of Sibson in Lower Earley, will be waving goodbye to wife Kirsty and children Jessica and Matthew and starting the mammoth haul on Saturday.

Accompanying the 38-year-old will be vet Richard Fox, 37, from Bovey Tracey in Devon, paramedic Marc Lister, 35, from Maidenhead, and 41-year-old Andy Franks, a mechanical engineer and first responder, also from Maidenhead.

Two volunteers have been recruited to drive their kit between bed and breakfasts.

Mr Davies has been a member of Reading Cycling Club for more than eight years and has been commuting to work in Maidenhead for nine years, racking up around 36,000 miles on the A4 since his car was written off in an accident.

Now he says he is looking forward to JOGLE and to ticking off a cycling ‘must do’, although this will be his longest ride by far.

He said: “The training has been okay. I am trying to get longer rides in now but I am relatively happy.

“The hardest sections will be days two and three in Scotland. The longest day is the 146 miles from Bridgnorth to Taunton, and Cornwall’s going to be tough at the end.”